Railway-car



L. HUWYLER.

RAILWAY CAR. APPLICATION'HLED NOV. 7. I918.

PatentedJuly 20,- 1920. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. HUWYLER.

RAILWAY CAR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. 1918.

1,34 ,391, PatentedJfllyZO, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2;"; if W L. HUW'Y'LER.

RAILWAY CAR.

APPLICATION man NOV. 1, 1918.

1,346,891 4 PatentedJuly 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES LYBERA HU YLER, or GOLDAU,'SWITZER LAND.

RAILWAY-CAR. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 7, 1918. Serial No. 261,546.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LSEBERAT I-IUWYLER, engineer, a citizen of the SWISSGOIIIEGdGI'EL- tion, residing at Goldau, Canton Schwyz,

car destined for the transport of goods, cattle and horses. The object of the invention is to provide means which allow the loading I and unloading of the car at any place on the line. I attain this object by providing a skid (movable gang-way or ramp) beneath the floor of the car inline with the side doors in such a manner that it can be with- I drawn from either side of the car to rest with one end on. the earth and with the other on the floor to form an easy gang-way for horses, cattle and so on.

A'further object of myinvention is to provide means to bring automatically the one end of the skid flush with the floor and to secure the skid automaticallyin its position beneath the car floor when out'of use and'in the position in .whichit is used.

I provide by these automatic guiding and securing means that the skid may be brought and secured in its proper position even by unskilled persons and in the dark, making the device thereby especially useful for military transports when cars have to be loaded or unloaded on the open line by soldiers, etc.

It is obvious that by providing each car of the train with askid all the ears may be loaded and unloaded at the same time and at any place at the stationor out of it and much shunting is done away with. By reducing the shunting not only time is saved to a very considerable degree but the general expenses of the railway companies are reduced; g

Other objects ofmy invention relateto the provision of minor parts cooperating with the elements above noted and details of construction all of which will be more clearly set forth in the following specification. With the above objects in view the invention resides in the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described-and particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have shown the same in the drawings by way of an example. t

Figure 1 shows a goods-ear in a side elevation, v

Fig. 2 is a section on line .A-:B of- Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows parts of the skid and of the guideways therefor connected .to the frame of the car on a larger scale,

Fig. 4 shows apart of thelguide-waysin side elevation, V

r .Fig. 5 illustrates the locking mechanism for the skid in a top view, I g

' Fig. 6 is aview on the skid from the top, the floor of the car being removed.

In the drawings 1 denotes the floor of a goods car which is provided with two sliding side doors 2, 3. On the lower side of the floor 1 in line with the side doors 2,3 there are two horizontal-guide-ways 4, 5 arranged paralleleach other transverse to the car and firmly fixedto the beams 12 of the ear frame. Each guide-way is provided at, each end with aguide piece 6. :On the guide-ways 4, 5.

and in horizontal grooves of the piece 6, o

in line with the said guide-ways 4, ,5 run rollers '7 arranged'at the corners of a mov-' able skid 8. .The skid-8 comprises an iron frame covered by wooden boards, it is strongly built and its length corresponds to the breadth of the car. To secure the skid in y its positionbelow the floor 1 Iarrange two hooks 9, 10of equallength both hooks being fixed to a common shaft 11 which is journa-led in the beams 12 of the'car-frame. On each side of the car the shaft 11 is provided with a. handle 15-by means of which the books ,9, 10 may be brought out of engagement with recesses 13 of the skid 8. To limit the movement of the'shaft 11 I arrange two .abutments 14 on the beam 12 between which an arm16 of the sha'ftll plays. The hooks 9,510 are held and brought-in engagement with the skid 8 by gravity. The skid Sis provided with a ledge 17 on which thehooks N Z 9, 10 slide when the skid 8. is moved on its guide-ways 4, 5. From theledge 17 the hooks r 9, 10 drop inothe corresponding cavity 13 as soon as the skid assumes itsproper position. In each guide piece 6 there is ailno ri zontal groove in line with the guide-ways 4, 5'

, and a branched-off guide-groove 18.1eading upwardly and ending in a short horizontal groove 19. To bring the skid 8 in the positionfor use it is withdrawnfromtheside Patented July 20, 1920. I

of the car from beneath the floor 1. The

into the branched-E guide-grooves 18, 19 of the guide pieces 6. The arrangement of the grooves 18, 19 is such that the hind end of the skid 8 is flush' with the floor '1 as soon as the rollers 7 enter theigrooves 19. to insure a convenient instep of the car (as shown in Fig. -2 in dotted lines.) To make the rollers 7 Onth'e hind end of the skid 8 to pass from the horizontal grooves of the pieces 6 into the grooves 18 I arrange on :each piece *6 a switch 20. The switch 20 comprises a double-armed lever which is journa led on a-pivot 22. Qne arm 23, forming a tongue projects into the horizontal groove and forms :part' of the guide groove for the rollers 7. provided witlra slot 24 into which the end 26 of a second double-armed lever 27 projects and controls-the operation of the switch. The

lever 27 is rotatably mounted in the guide piece 6 and projects with a curved arm 28 inthe path of the skid 8. If the skid 8 rests beneath the floor 1 thearm 28 abuts against the lower side of the skid 8 and the switch 20 assumes the position as shown in Fig. 4. The tongue 23 takes the position shown in which it guides the hind roller 7 into the hra nched off groove 18. The skid 8 resting on'arm' 28 secures the tongue 23 in this :po-

sition; Ifthe skid '8 is withdrawn into its position for use shown in Fig. 2 by dotted lines, the rollers 7 at the forefp'art ofthe skid leave-the pieces 6 the rollers 7 at the hind end pass into the grooves 18 and ascend until'they bear against ahutm'ents 3O resting on springs in the front part 32 off the 'guide pieces "6. As soon as the skid 8" leaves the arm 28 the-tongue 23 swings'upward the weight ofthe parts 21, 26 exceeding that of the :parts 23, 28. To iockthe skid 8 in "the loading position I provide lockingpins 34 which pass automatically behindthe "rollers 7 as soonas the latterrea'ch the abut- 'ments 30. The pins '34 are madein'one with the bar'35 which is-movably ar-ranged in suitablebe'ari-ngs fixed 'to the floor f1. Eachbar 35 is provided with a pin 36 and' on each pin there is a coil'ed spring 37 adapted "to press the bar 35 and therewith the "pins 34 into the groove 19; The bars 35 are linked to "the fiends. of a doubl'eaarmed lever 33 rotatably mounted o'n t'he-fi'oor 1 ofthe car.

The looking pins 34 may 'be -simultaneouslyhrought in or out of engagement with the rollers 7. Against each pin 34 rests {the'fi'ee end of a springy slanting bar 39 hinged to piece *6 projecting into the way of the roller 7"in such a'manner that the ascending rollers 7 'presson the bars 39 cause said "bars-to push "the pins 34 out of the wayo'i' the "roll- The other arm 21 of the lever is ers 7. As soon as the rollers 7 leave the bar 39 the springs 37' push the pins 34 into the groove 18 and behind the rollers which are now secured againstaccidental displacement when the skid is used for loading or unload:

the car. I position I provide a lever 41 rotatably To secure the bars 35 in their mounted on a pin'of a bearing fixed to the floor 1. 0n the pivot of said lever 41 I mount a finger 4.2 which projects into the path of the roller 7 in the groove 18 and which when swung out rocks :the lever 41.

On lever 41 there is an arm 43 which :prov To release part of the skid 8 descend the groove 18 and the "skid may be pushed below the :floor. The

rollers 7may pass the switch 20 at the oppo-.

site car side the-tongue 23 being in its uppermost position While the skid 8 is. moved into the guides 4, 5 the hooks 9, 10 slide-on Y the ledge 17' until they fall into the grooves 13. The skid 8 is'now secured in its proper position the ends of it projecting just far enough from the sides oat the car to be used as'a second tread.

From the foregoing it is obvious that the skid may he withdrawn from any sideof the car, in no position does it lose th econneotion withthe car andin no way does it interfere the car.

g It frequently happensthat the train' moves I somewhat while the loading "or unloading which could be "used for railin s in case of need.

Various details of construction for instance the means for locki-ngthe-skid in its positions, etc, may be varied without de-.

' parting from the spirit of the invention.

Also I have described'thepreferred form of construction. I wish it understoodithat various details of construction may be "changed without departing frorn'the spirit oi the invention.

What I claim and wish to secure by Letters :Patent of the United States is: V 1. In a railway car,-a skid having rollers on oppositesides near each end; skid supporting members under the car, including horizontal guides in which said rollersoperate and also including inclined guides for said rollers, :and gravity 1 acting switches in 100 with the general arrangement and design of the angles between said horizontal and inclined guides.

2. A railway car comprising in combination a skid, rollers on said skid, two guideways fixed transversely beneath the car floor in line with the side doors of the car, a guide piece at each end of each guideway, each guide piece having a horizontal groove and a branched-off groove for said rollers, switches to lead the rollers into said branched-off groove, means to set the switches and means to secure the skid when in and out of use.

3. A railway car comprising in combination a skid, rollers on said skid, two guideways fixed beneath the car floor in line with the side doors of the car, a guide piece at each end of each guide-way, each guide piece having a horizontal groove in line with the corresponding guide-way and an ascending groove branched-off from said horizontal groove, switches to lead the rollers from the horizontal to the ascending groove, each switch comprising a tongue projecting. into the path of the rollers, means to set said switch by gravity and by the skid and means to lock the switch when in one position.

4. A railway car comprising in combination a skid, rollers on said skid, two guideways fixed beneath the car floor in line with the side doors of the car, a guide piece at each end of each guide-way, each guide piece having a horizontal groove in line with the corresponding guide-Way and an ascending groove branched-ofl" from sald horizontal groove, switches to lead the rollers from the horizontal to the ascending groove, each switch comprising a tongue projecting into the path of the rollers, means to set said switch by gravity and by the skid and clined guides, and controlling means for the switches, said controlling means being held in operative position by the skid when the latter is in normal withdrawn position.

6. In a railway car, a skid having rollers on opposite sides near each end; skid supporting members under the car, including horizontal guides in which said rollers operate and also including inclined guides for said rollers, gravity acting switches in the angles between said horizontal and inclined guides, and retaining means to engage behind the rollers when the latter reach the ate and also including inclined guides for said rollers, gravity acting switches in the angles between said horizontal and inclined guides, retaining means to engage behind the rollers when the latter reach the upper ends of the inclined guides and the skid is in extended, operativepositiomand operating means for the retaining means and including members arranged in said inclined guides in the paths of the skid rollers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HUWYLER LYBERAT. 

